Westerly Hospital workers approve new contract

WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) — More than 400 unionized workers including nurses and maintenance staff at The Westerly Hospital have approved a new, three-year contract.

Leaders of the United Nurses and Allied Professionals say members of two locals of the union voted overwhelmingly in favor of the new contract Monday. They say the agreement restores benefit concessions workers made when the hospital was in receivership in order to help keep it open.

The current one-year contract expires June 30.

The hospital went into receivership in 2011. A state judge in 2012 approved the sale of the hospital to Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, Conn., for $69 million, and Rhode Island regulators approved the deal in April of last year.